Weekend Picking

   This weekend finds us hidden between the rows; corn rows. Spring's planting brought a bountiful summer harvest as tall stocks tip under the weight of hearty ears. Father's day will find tasty burgers and spicy-seasoned chicken searing on the weekend grill, but what about the sides? Fresh ears of corn, of course!

    How we do it Farmhouse Cooking Style:
       Take fresh-shucked ears of corn (enough for your family)- some foil, butter, seasoning (I used Cajun spice), and a hot grill. Place one ear of corn on an adequate size piece of foil with a dot of butter and enough seasoning to coat the ear. Wrap it up nice and tight and place it on a hot grill for about thirty minutes- turning once to cook evenly.
         ** If you like a bit of char on the corn, unwrap them after cooking and place them directly on the grill until adequately charred. Serve it nice and hot!

   I am often asked how we preserve the corn we grow here- it's simple. Take a fresh ear of corn, still in the husks, and cut the tip and base to make the corn less 'sharp' on the ends. Generally, I use gallon size zip bags- five ears to one bag. Now days I use a food sealer to air-lock the corn before freezing. No blanching, shucking or par-boiling - just in the husk, as is. We have kept corn for up to a year in the deep freeze with great success.
   Another question I get- boil before grilling? No, I don't- when using the foil method. If you want to skip the foil wrapping, then go ahead and get a head start on the cooking process before giving your corn the char. Personally, I do not want to heat up the kitchen with boiling water, so, the foil first method works for me.

   Now, back to the harvest. Wishing you and your family a safe and blessed Father's day weekend!